Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-02-04
HANGING FOR WOMEN.
An Interesting Chapter on the Execu-
ton OF Females.
NEW YORK STATE.

Tor women is one which is attracting
considerable attention just at present.
There has always been "A certain class
OF society in favor of discriminating
between murder by man and murder
oy woman. The recent reprieve of
Mrs. Roxalana Druse. of Herkimer
county. New York, by Governor Hill.
mas again precipitated the discussion on
the subject, and the New York World
has compiled accounts of the execution
OF females throughout the United
States.
The case of Mrs. Annalette Haight.
whose death sentence was commuted to
Imprisonment for life, is referred to as
parallel TO the Druse case.
Previous to the Haight case the first
case of the character named is that of
Mrs. Mary, alias Polly" Firsch. of
tennessee county, who was sentenced to
death for pc soning her hus band and
two children.
30 far as the available records of
Ohio show there never was but one
woman judicially executed in the State.
and that was a colored woman named
Esther Clark. prisoner in the Ohio
fenitentiary who killed white woman
prisoner, and was publicly executed in
the city of Columbus on the 9th of
February, 1914. The fact that she was
negro, and her victim white, blended
pubic opinion. Otherwise it would
nave been enlisted in behalf of her
sex. she was executed on the same |
galiows with a white man. also a pris. |
oner who, the next dav after the |
woman crime murdered his keeper. |
Ihere have been less than half a dozen |
convictions of women for murder in
the hrst degree in Ohio since its organ
Hation as State. and none. with the
above exception, paid the death penal
ty' public opinion compelling sentence
10 imprisonment Probably the last
conviction of woman for murder in
the ilrst degree in the State was that of
Mrs. Sarah NJ. Victor, of Cleveland.
VINO was found gully. on purely circum-
stahtial evidence, of having poisoned
her brother to secure 81, 600 life in
surance policy made payable to her
sen' She was sentenced to be hanged,
but public sentiment was so strono
that the Governor committed the
sentence to lite imprisonment, and the
same sentiment demanded her pardon
which Governor Foraker granted.
PENNSYLVANIA.
The law of PENNSYLVANIA does not
make distinction in the punishment I
OF murder on account of sex. and but {
three years ago woman named Catha. !
rine Miller and her accomplice. GEORGE $
Smith, were hanged at Williamsport. in s
. state. for the murder of Mrs Mil {
ler's husband. Smith beat Miller to Q
death and Mrs. Miller simply furnished
the rope with which to string the dead
man up. so as 10 create the impression :
that he had committed suicide. In this d
case Governor Pattison refused TO in
tsTfere. The proof was clearly estab-
lished that Mrs Miller and Smith had a
plotted to kill the woman husband n
and the death warrant was issued with e
out opposition. The execution was 5
notable one. Mrs. Miller screamed
like mad person as she was carried to
the gallows. II
A few months ago Annie Cutler. t.
young colored girl, shot her betrayer
in Philadelphia, for which offense she
was sentenced to life Imprisonment. Il
An application for a commutatIon of V
sentence was made to the pardon board.
and that body committed the sentence %
to one of eight years. CT
CONNECTICUT
The only similar case in the state of
Connecticut TO that of Mrs. Druse was III
that of Lydia Sherman. who poisoned a.
two or three husbands and several chill u
dren, several years ago. She had her "a
sentence COMMITTED by the legislature As
to state prison for life. III
AS far as can be ascertaned here ia
here has not been woman hanged
n that state since colonial days. The
custom seems to have been of late years "a
or juries TO convict women of murder III
~ tho sacond dooroo and so,,a 49, be
III TIC seCond uepIee anu SEM them to
state prison for life.
MARYLAND.
Precedents are rare in Maryland OF ii"
he conviction, and even the trial. of "a
woman for murder. The only convic-
ion and execution of a woman, within
ecent times, was that of Mary Naylor. ma
N intelligent negro slave in Anne III
Arundal county; execution in 1861 for
be poisoning of her MASTER a Mr.. Carr.
The penalty for murder in the first de- mi
rec in Maryland is hanging, and wo- wa
nen are not excepted in the law Pub tn'
&c sentiment sustains the statute. SIN
ILLINOIS. pr
Under the laws of Illinois men and
znmen are alikn snhiect 10 the nnnirL